Ajo Al’s, a family-owned and operated restaurant serving Sonoran-style Mexican food since 1986, is preparing to break ground on a new location set to open east of Gilbert Road on the north side of Baseline Road in Mesa.
The company’s sixth location will move into a repurposed vacant building in a commercial zoning district. Owner Daniel Dains tells What Now Phoenix that the company is finishing the permitting process and hopes to break ground as soon as possible. Dains expects the new Ajo Al’s location to open in about six months. This is a massive accomplishment for the company, which presented plans to the Mesa Design Review Board on Aug. 13 and discussed the look and landscaping for the full-service restaurant on a 1-acre parcel.
The site plan includes a 3,279-square-foot building with a 1,208-square-foot outdoor patio, as reported by the Daily Independent. The restaurant will feature 37 new parking spaces and 39 existing ones. The owners will renovate an approximately 3,279-square-foot tenant space, originally designed as a diner/restaurant, into a new restaurant venue. This renovation will include additional outdoor patio seating and a small expansion of 216 square feet, as detailed in a project narrative by Pathangay Architects. Ajo Al’s Mexican Restaurant also operates locations at Terminal 3 of Sky Harbor International Airport and in Glendale, Scottsdale, and Phoenix…